The Sunday Times FT - ADB’s northeast projects slows down slightly

Asian Development Board (ADB) officials are concerned about the safety of all aid workers in conflict areas after the massacre of 17 aid workers in Mutur during the recent violence.

"The 17 workers who were killed wasn’t an accident but a deliberate thing that was done. It doesn't matter if they are Sri Lankan or international workers," noted ADB country director for Sri Lanka, Alessandro Pio

In an interview, he said ADB projects are implemented through the government structure and government personnel. People from the affected communities have continued working in these with some moving out during the nights to a safer area and returning during the day.

“In some cases, people have just left because they don't feel safe there. Some people feel unsafe sleeping in their own homes," said Pio, speaking after a high level Asian ADB team completed their mission in Colombo to restructure and streamline the country's portfolio.

Most of the ADB projects in the northeast are small scale such as the construction of healthcare centres, schools and irrigation systems. Conducting evaluations in these areas tend to be straightforward because the construction is standard. Therefore, implementation times are also reduced.

In some cases, the ADB has asked other agencies with missions in the area to monitor the progress of ADB projects. "We are trying to adapt to the circumstances and it has slowed down things but it hasn't brought everything to a halt," Pio said. He added that a network project was scheduled to be completed a year earlier than originally anticipated, an unusual phenomenon in any country but especially in Sri Lanka. However, with the delays, the project is now scheduled to be finished as formerly scheduled.

From 2003 to 2005, approximately $430 million was spent on projects in the northeast out of which $206 million was on infrastructure related projects. Around $119 million out of the total was ADB-funded projects.

The ADB is a part of the United Nations (UN) security system currently in place which determines the threat level in different countries by categorizing them as phase 1, 2, 3, or 4 areas, the latter being an all out war situation.

According to Pio, there are no phase 4 areas in Sri Lanka although there are some phase 2 and phase 3 areas. "We basically follow the UN system because the ADB is fairly small in terms of presence in the northeast. The UN system is the one that has the security umbrella." The UN provides the ADB with daily security briefings on the situation in the country. If a mission is sent to one of the conflict areas, it must be cleared by the UN who will then keep in regular contact with the mission for safety purposes.

Pio added that there are some larger scale rehabilitation projects in the northeast such as developing the coastal roads north of Trincomalee. According to Pio, the ADB is ready to award the tenders but is concerned about the current political crisis.

The funds have been allocated and are ready to be disbursed but the situation is being closely monitored, resulting in current operations being delayed. There is a $65 million water supply project set for implementation in Jaffna with plans to supply water to the area from Killinochchi. However, Pio said that under present conditions, the ADB cannot consider implementing a project of that nature but is again monitoring the ongoing situation.

Pio said some of the $4.5 million pledged at the June 2003 Tokyo Donor Conference has been allocated and spent over the years but added that some of it has not materialized because of the changing situation in the country. However the funds have come into the country for tsunami reconstruction.